Konica
See also Konica Minolta. Konica was the oldest Japanese camera company until it stopped its camera activity in 2006. History The company originated as a drugstore called Konishi-ya Rokubei Ten (小西屋六兵衞店), ruled by Sugiura Rokuemon V (5代杉浦六衞門). Kamei, p.6 of no.10, Shibano, p.90 of the same, and this page of the R. Konishi Rokuoh-sha website. His son Sugiura Rokusaburō (杉浦六三郎) entered the company and expanded its activities by selling photographic products from 1873. Kamei, p.6 of no.10; Shibano, p.90 of the same. Sugiura Rokusaburō took the name of Sugiura Rokuemon VI (6代杉浦六衞門) in 1879, and the company was subsequently renamed Honten Konishi Rokuemon (本店小西六右衞門), abridged as Konishi Honten (小西本店). Kamei, p.6 of no.10; Shibano, p.90 of the same. Early cameras were produced by artisan subcontractors, such as Hasegawa Toshinosuke (長谷川利之助) and Tōjō Kamejirō (東条亀次郎). This page of the R. Konishi Rokuoh-sha website, and Sakai, p.10 of no.10. The company founded a manufacturing branch called Rokuoh-sha (六桜社) in 1902, and released the Cherry in 1903, the first Japanese camera to have a brand name. Kamei, p.6 of no.10, and this page of the R. Konishi Rokuoh-sha website. The factory of Hasegawa Toshinosuke became the wood workshop of Rokuoh-sha in 1906. This page of the R. Konishi Rokuoh-sha website. Most of the camera production was still assumed by other subcontractors, many of which were merged into Rokuoh-sha in 1919. Sakai, p.10 of no.10. More details are found in this page of the R. Konishi Rokuoh-sha website. The company became G.K. Konishiroku Honten (合資会社小西六本店) in 1921. The character roku (六) is a double allusion to Sugiura Rokuemon VI: it means "six" and is the first character of Rokuemon. The logo of the company shows this character inside a cherry blossom. Konishiroku founded the Konishi College of Photography (小西写真専門学校) in Tokyo in 1923. Kamei, p.6 of no.10. It introduced the Pearlette in 1925, which would be the first mass-produced Japanese camera, under the supervision of Yamada Kōgorō (山田幸五郎). Pearlette supervised by Yamada Kōgorō: Kamei, p.6 of no.10. In 1929, it launched the Sakura rollfilm, the second rollfilm brand in Japan. Kamei, p.7 of no.10. In 1931, it released the first Japanese camera lens commercially available, called Hexar; this name was again formed after the number "six". The company changed status again in 1936 and became K.K. Konishiroku ( 小西六). The cameras and lenses were still marked as made by the manufacturing branch Rokuoh-sha. The company was reorganized in 1943 as Konishiroku Shashin Kōgyō K.K. (小西六写真工業 ), based in Tokyo, Yodobashi; Its address in 1943 was Tōkyō-to Yodobashi-ku Jū-ni-sha 320 (東京都淀橋区十二社320). Source: , listing the Japanese camera production as of April 1943. the name Rokuoh-sha was abandoned at that time. The company name was translated after the war as Konishiroku Photo Industry Co., Ltd. The name Konica was originally that of a 35mm rangefinder model presented in 1947. Similarly to "Leica", "Yashica" and many others, the name "Konica" was constructed by abbreviating the name of the manufacturer and attaching "ca" (for "camera") as a suffix. The structure of the name "Konishiroku" (小西六) is ko (小) - nishi (西) - roku (六): nishi within it (meaning "west") is indivisible. (Ni is no more meaningful an abbreviation of nishi than "we" is of "west".) Thus the new name does not "make sense". The company as a whole changed its name to Konica Corporation only in 1987, although its US branch did so earlier. Konica merged with Minolta in 2003 and became Konica Minolta, which would stop the production of cameras in 2006. Cameras Digital http://farm1.static.flickr.com/44/158880090_423cfce6e8_t.jpg * Konica Digital Revio C2 * Konica Digital Revio KD-200Z / KD-300Z / KD-400Z / KD-500Z * Konica Digital Revio KD-310Z / KD-410Z / KD-510Z * Konica Digital Revio KD-220Z / KD-420Z * Konica Digital Revio KD-3300 35mm film SLR, F-mount (Konica Bayonet Mount) * Konica F * Konica FS * Konica FS-W * Konica FP * Konica FM SLR, AR-mount (Konica Bayonet Mount II) http://static.flickr.com/28/47999349_1d9875645a_t.jpg * Konica Auto-Reflex and Autorex * Konica Auto-Reflex P and Autorex P * Konica Autoreflex T and Autoreflex FTA * Konica Autoreflex W * Konica Autoreflex A * Konica Autoreflex T"2" and Autoreflex FTA"2" * Konica Autoreflex A"2" * Konica Autoreflex A1000 * Konica Autoreflex T3 * Konica Autoreflex A3 * Konica Autoreflex T3N or NT3 or "New" T3 * Konica Autoreflex TC (ACOM-1) * Konica Autoreflex T4 * Konica FS-1 * Konica FC-1 * Konica FP-1 * Konica FT-1 and FT-1 Pro Half * Konica TC-X SLR, fixed mount * Konica Domirex Rangefinder, interchangeable lens * Konica FR * Konica Hexar RF Viewfinder and rangefinder, fixed lens http://farm1.static.flickr.com/170/470197230_a400c500ed_t_d.jpg * Konica Rubikon and Rubicon * Konica (I or Standard) * Konica II, IIA, IIB, IIBm, IIF * Konica III * Konica IIIA * Konica IIIM * Konilette (blue green plastic top cover) * Konilette II (metal top cover) * Konilette IIM (built-in meter) * Konica S * Konica Snap * Konica J * Konilette 35 * Konica L * Konica S II * Konica EE-Matic * Konica S III * Konica Auto S * Konica EYE (half frame) * Konica Auto S2 and Auto S2 "New" * Konica EE-Matic S * Konica EE-Matic Deluxe, "New" Deluxe * Konica Auto S2 EL * Konica Auto SE Electronic * Konica Auto S1.6 * Konica EE-Matic Deluxe F * Konica EE-Matic Deluxe 2 * Konica EYE 2 (half frame) * Konica EYE 3 (half frame) * Konica Auto S1.6 * Konica Electron http://static.flickr.com/31/47308060_8c9e30de76_t.jpg * Konica C35 (1968) * Konica C35V (1971, Konica C35E&L) * Konica C35 Automatic (1971, Konica C35 Flashmatic in Japan) * Konica Auto S3 (1973, Konica C35 FD in Japan) * Konica C35 AF * Konica C35 EF “Pikkari” and C35 EF “N” or “New” * Konica C35 EFP * Konica C35 AF “Jasupin” * Konica C35 EF-D * Konica C35 AF2 “Jasupin Super” and C35 AF2-D * Konica C35 EF3 * Konica C35 MF and C35 MF-D * Konica C35 EFJ * Konica POP * Konica MG and MG-D * Konica AF3 and AF3-D * Konica EFP2 Konica Recorder and AA-35 (half frame) * Konica Tomato * Konica MR-70 * Konica MT-7, MT-9 and MT-11 "Multi" * Konica EFP3 * Konica MR-70 LX * Konica POP-10 * Konica Off Road or Genba Kantoku or Kenba Kantoku * Konica Z-Up 80 * Konica Hexar * Konica Z-up 70 Super * Konica Z-up 80 * Konica Z-up 110 Super * Konica Z-up 118 * Konica Z-up 125 E * Konica MG * Konica MT-100 http://farm1.static.flickr.com/32/160798005_68c0117cfe_t.jpg * Konica EU-mini * Konica pop * Konica pop Super * Konica BM "Big Mini" 201 * Konica BM "Big Mini" 510 Z Unperforated 35mm film * Record 126 film * Konipak 100 / Sakurapak 100 * Konipak 100X * Konipak 300 / Sakurapak 300 * Auto S 261 APS film * Konica BM-S 100 "Super Big Mini" * Konica BM-S "super Big Mini" 630 Z * Konica Revio * Konica Revio II Disc film * Konica disc 10 * Konica disc 15 autofocus 120 film 4.5×6 http://static.flickr.com/55/189875584_cd630d8772_t_d.jpg * Semi Pearl * Pearl (I) * Pearl (I) RS * Pearl II * Pearl IIB * Pearl III * Pearl IIIMX * Pearl IIIL * Pearl IV * Konica SF (prototype SLR, 1967) 6×6 * Sakura-flex (prototype TLR, 1940) * Koniflex (TLR) 6×7 * Koni-Omega, rangefinder * Koni-Omegaflex, twin lens camera 6×9 http://farm1.static.flickr.com/249/523431527_497051c88d_t_d.jpg * Sakura (box) * Pearl 2 * Year-Eight Pearl * Year-Eleven Pearl * High-Grade Pearl 127 film http://farm1.static.flickr.com/203/468406509_c608bd24b9_t.jpg * Baby Pearl, 3×4cm folder * Sakura (bakelite), 4×5cm collapsible * Sakura (box), 4×6.5cm box * Pearlette, 4×6.5cm folder * B Pearlette, 4×6.5cm folder * Special Pearlette, 4×6.5cm folder 118 film http://farm1.static.flickr.com/128/342689721_fee9a103eb_t_d.jpg * Pearl * Pearl Portable * Special Pearl Plate film Box * Cherry Portable magazine camera for 5.7×8.3cm plates Folders * Sakura Prano Portable * Idea Portable * Idea (wooden models) * Lily (wooden models) * Idea (metal models) ** 1930 Idea (6.5×9cm and 8×10.5cm) ** Year-Eight Idea (6.5×9cm, 1933) * Lily (metal models) ** 1930 Lily (6.5×9cm and 8×10.5cm) ** Tropical Lily (6.5×9cm and 8×10.5cm, 1931) ** 1934 Lily (6.5×9cm and 8×10.5cm) ** New Lily (6.5×9cm, 1937) ** Military Lily (8×10.5cm) * Ohca (6.5×9cm, 1935) Stereo folders * Idea Binocular (4×5in, 1907) * Idea Binocular (4×5in or 12×16.5cm, 1914) Strut folders * Minimum Idea (5.5×8cm) * Korok (5.5×8cm) * Idea Spring (4.5×6cm, 5.5×8cm or 12×16.5cm, 1926) * Idea Spring (6.5×9cm, 8×10.5cm or 12×16.5cm, 1932) SLR * Sakura Reflex Prano (4×5in, 1907) * Idea Reflex (8×10.5cm, 4×5in or 12×16.5cm, 1910) * Idea Reflex No.1 (8×10.5cm, 1911) * Idea Reflex No.2 (4×5in or 12×16.5cm, 1911) * Neat Reflex (6.5×9cm or 8×10.5cm, 1926) * Idea Reflex (6.5×9cm or 8×10.5cm, 1932) Telephoto * Idea Telephoto (8×10.5cm or 12×16.5cm, 1909) Lenses Interchangeable lenses for 35mm SLR cameras F-mount SLR (Konica Bayonet Mount) * Hexanon 35mm f2.8 * Hexanon 35mm f2.0 (Konica F) * Hexanon 52mm f1.4 (Konica F, 49mm filter thread) * Hexanon 50mm f2.0 * Hexanon 52mm f1.4 (55mm filter thread) * Hexanon 85mm f1.8 (Konica F) * Hexanon 100mm f2.8 * Hexanon 135mm f2.8 (preset) * Hexanon 135mm f3.5 * Hexanon 200mm f3.5 * Hexanon 400mm f4.5 * Hexanon 800mm f8.0 AR-mount SLR (Konica Bayonet Mount II) Prime lenses * 15mm f2.8 and 15mm f2.8 UC Hexanon AR (full-frame fisheye) * 21mm f4 Hexanon AR * 21mm f2.8 Hexanon AR * 24mm f2.8-16 and 24mm f2.8-22 Hexanon AR * 28mm f3.5-16 and 28mm f3.5-22 Hexanon AR * 28mm f3.5 Hexanon AR-P * 28mm f3.5 Hexar AR * 28mm f1.8 and 28mm f1.8 UC Hexanon AR * 35mm f2.8-16 and 35mm f2.8-22 Hexanon AR * 35mm f2.0 Hexanon AR * 40mm f1.8 Hexanon AR * 50mm f1.8 Hexanon AR * 50mm f1.7 Hexanon AR * 50mm f1.4-16 and 50mm f1.4-22 Hexanon AR * 52mm f1.8 Hexanon AR * 57mm f1.4 Hexanon AR * 57mm f1.2 Hexanon AR * 58mm f1.2 Hexanon AR * 85mm f1.8 Hexanon AR * 100mm f2.8 Hexanon AR * 135mm f3.5-16 and 135mm f3.5-22 Hexanon AR * 135mm f3.5 Hexar AR * 135mm f3.2 Hexanon AR * 135mm f2.5 Hexanon AR * 200mm f3.5 Hexanon AR * 200mm f3.5 Hexanon AR-P and AR-M * 200mm f4 Hexanon AR * 200mm f4 Hexar AR * 200mm f5.6 Hexanon AR-P * 300mm f4.5 Hexanon AR * 300mm f6.3 Hexanon AR “Fluorite” * 400mm f5.6 UC Hexanon AR * 400mm f4.5-32 and 400mm f4.5-45 Hexanon AR-M * 400mm f4.5-45 Hexanon AR-M * 800mm f8 Hexanon AR-M * 1000mm f8 Reflex Hexanon AR * 2000mm f11 Reflex Hexanon AR * 2X Hexanon Teleconverter Zoom lenses * 28-135mm f4-4.6 Hexanon AR * 35-70mm f3.5 Hexanon AR * 35-70mm f3.5-f4 Hexanon AR * 35-70mm f4.0 Hexanon AR * 35-100mm f2.8 Hexanon Varifocal AR * 45-100mm f3.5 UC Hexanon AR * 47-100mm f3.5 Hexanon AR-H * 65-135mm f4 Hexanon AR * 70-150mm f4 Hexanon AR * 70-230mm f4.5 Hexanon AR * 80-200mm f3.5 Hexanon AR * 80-200mm f4 Hexanon AR * 80-200mm f4 UC Hexanon AR * 80-200mm f4.5 Hexanon AR * 58-400mm f4 Hexanon AR Macro lenses * 55mm f3.5 Macro Hexanon AR and 1:1 Extension * 105mm f4 Macro Hexanon AR and Auto Helicoid AR Interchangeable lenses for 35mm rangefinder cameras * Lenses for Hexar RF cameras * Leica screw mount lenses Interchangeable lenses for the Konica SF medium-format SLR See Konica SF. * 50mm f/3.5 Hexanon * 80mm f/2.8 Hexanon * 135mm f/3.5 Hexanon Other lenses were planned but never made: 35/4, 180/4.5, 250/5.6 and 500/8. Fixed lenses * Hexar lenses before 1945 * Hexar and Hexanon lenses for postwar fixed-lens cameras * Konitor 75mm f/3.5 (three elements in three groups), on the Aram Six and some examples of the Pearl III Imported products Konishiroku imported various foreign products, at least until World War II. Notes Bibliography * Asahi Camera. Advertisement by Konishiroku Honten in February 1930 (p.A4). * * Kamei Takeshi (亀井武). "Konishiroku ryakushi" (小西六略史, Abridged history of Konishiroku). Pp.6–7. * * Sakai Shūichi (酒井修一). "'Anbako' kara 'ōtofōkasu' he: kamera no hensen to tomo ni ayunda 114-nen" (「暗函」から「オートフォーカス」へ・カメラの変遷と共に歩んだ114年, From 'camera obscura' to 'autofocus': 114 years of camera evolution). Pp.8–13. * Shibano Daisuke (柴野大輔). "Konishiroku seishiki tenmei-shamei no hensen ichiran-hyō" (小西六正式店名・社名の変遷一覧表, Evolution of the Konishiroku official company name). Pp.90–1. Links In English: * Document with a brief chronology of Konica, available in pdf at the Konica Minolta official site * Survey of Konica SLR cameras * Konica SLR user's site * Konica SLR Yahoo group * Konica SLR site * Konica disc camera page * Alan Myers' Konica Pages * Alan Myers' Hexanon Pages * 15+ Konica instruction manuals, most in HTML format In Japanese: * List of cameras at the Konica Minolta official Japanese site * Konica SIII, Pearl II, Pearl III and Pearl IV at Kosaka's site * R. Konishi Rokuoh-sha website * Konica page at Collection G. Even's site In Chinese: * Neat Reflex at www.ccc2000.net Category: Japanese camera makers Category: Japanese lens makers Category: Film makers *